How to Renew a South African Passport in the U.S.

A South African passport is valid for ten
years. When a South African passport expires, you are not able to renew
it. This means that you will have to apply for a new South African
passport. The application forms to fill in can be quite lengthy but you
have done this before and so know what to expect. You may select to
mail your application or go in person to the Home Affairs section of
the South African embassy in Washington. It is certainly a lot less
painful to rather mail your application.

Where to Apply

Firstly, there are three South African consulates located in the
U.S. This excludes the embassy situated in Washington. The consulates
are found in:

Chicago

Los Angeles

New York

There is a good chance that you will find yourself located
quite a while away from any of these three cities including Washington,
which is why application by mail is far more convenient. You may post
your application to the specific consulate which would serve your area.
To find out which consulate is best for you as well as that consulate's
specific mail address and contact details, see the consulate information page on the South African embassy website.

South African Passport Application Form (BI-73)

This application form comprises of sections A and B. Section A will
include all of your personal details while section B will require a
stamp at the police station or notary public. This is for the purpose
of confirming certification. Whether you choose to mail your passport
application or appear in person, it is recommended that you download the BI-73 form and complete it at home.

Required Supporting Documents

There are probably two supporting documents for the South African
passport application which stray from the â€œnormâ€. Also, remember
that you will require two sets of the application form plus its
supporting documents -- the originals plus copies of everything. See a
list of what is required below.

BI-73 application form completed and signed

BI-9 form. This form will include all your fingerprints which can
be taken at a fingerprint taking station, notary public or even your
nearest police station. This form cannot be downloaded and you will
have to request that it is sent to you by mail or you can collect one
at the embassy between 10am and 1pm

BI-529 form (Determination of citizenship). This form can be downloaded from the above provided link

Divorce and marriage certificates. A notarized marriage certificate
must be supplied by all married applicants irrespective of whether they
would like to change their name or not

Notarized copy of your current South African passport

Notarized copy of your birth certificate or South African identity book

Four passport photos

Passport Photo Requirements

Even after gathering all the above supporting documentation correctly,
you can still have your application denied if your passport photos are
not correct. Make sure they will meet requirements by viewing the below
pointers:

Photos must be 2 inches by 2 inches in size

Photos must be identical and in color

Photos must show face and shoulders with face taking up 70% - 80% of the area

Applicant must look directly at the camera in a head-on position

Nothing at all may obstruct the face such as hair, headwear (for religious reasons) or glasses